How The Sith Stole Christmas
by jmsbndgrl
Summary: After losing his beloved wife on Christmas Day, Darth Vader, formally Anakin Skywalker mourns her loss by banning the Christmas holiday in his Empire.
1. Chapter 1

**How the Sith Stole Christmas**

**Summary:** After losing his beloved wife on Christmas Day, Darth Vader, formally Anakin Skywalker mourns her loss by banning the Christmas holiday in his Empire.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Star Wars. I'm just borrowing George Lucas's characters for a bit. I also do not own the story of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas," by Dr. Seuss.

**A/N:** If you are reading "Trials of My Heart," or "Always in Motion: If You Love Me," no, I'm not dead. I've just been busy with real life. I also decided that given the holiday, I wanted to write something festive and considering that both "Trials of My Heart," and "Always in Motion: If You Love Me," are both in a "darker" sections, I can't do that with them. So I had the idea for a short simple holiday fic and this is how this story came about. I'll return to my regular fics once this is finished. Now, I know some of you will say that "The Grinch" has been adapted in Star Wars fan fiction before, but this is a slightly different take on most of the stuff I have seen.

**

* * *

**_The citizens of Naboo liked Christmas a lot._

_The Sith who lived on Coruscant, did not…._

* * *

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith paced his Coruscant throne room his natural blue hued eyes gleaming a sickly yellow as he held the latest intelligence report of the goings on in his Empire. He was infuriated that there were those who dared defy the latest law he had proclaimed. It was not as if he was taxing the citizens or calling for all out war. He had only banned the holiday that he hated above all others. No one should be celebrating a day that had shattered his heart and ripped apart his soul.

Fighting back tears and despair, Vader raised his hands into his sandy blonde hair, trying to fight the memories that overwhelmed him. It hurt that of all the planetary systems that could have defied him on this order it was Naboo. Like him, they had suffered a great loss five Christmases ago and he would have thought they would still mourn the loss of the most beautiful Nubian angel, the galaxy had ever seen.

Vader simply could not fathom how anyone could forget that fateful Christmas day….

* * *

Five years ago, Anakin Skywalker was speeding through Coruscant, pushing his Jedi starfighter towards his wife's apartment. Commuters shouted at the reckless Jedi, none knowing the urgency of his journey. No citizens knew of the Jedi's marriage to the Senator from Naboo, but that was not important to Anakin. All he cared about was getting to his wife's apartment so he could celebrate the holidays with her.

A cease fire had been proclaimed for the holidays meaning that for a few days he would not be needed on the front lines leading a team of clones against the Separatists' droid army. For two years both Anakin and Padmé had barely had a chance to see each other. Both were busy working in their own ways to bring a swift end to the Clone Wars and were only able to sneak a few moments away with each other when their schedules allowed it. This temporary cease fire meant they could drop the Jedi and Senator titles for a moment and simply be husband and wife. This holiday would be a chance to tune out the troubles of the galaxy and simply indulge in their love for one another. However as it was already Christmas Eve, Anakin was in a rush to maximize his time with his beloved wife.

Parking his starfighter in Padmé's private hangar underneath the Senate building, Anakin leapt out and ran towards the lifts that would lead to her apartment. He ignored the insistent beeps from his wife's faithful astromech droid, R2D2, who was making sure the last minute security checks were in place to conceal the starfighter from any prying eyes. However, the little droid seemed to understand the Jedi's need to rush to his wife's side and did not push for more help. The little droid simply finished the tasks himself before moving from the ship to go to Padmé's quarters. Droids generally did not have the means to give gifts to their owners, but R2D2 knew that as long as he gave Padmé and Anakin some time away from the galaxy and C3P0, that would be gift enough.

* * *

"Master Ani! It is so good to have you home!" C3P0 greeted the Jedi Knight as he opened the door to Padmé's apartment for him. "I have been finishing up the decorations for Miss Padmé and was just about to tell her…"

Anakin brushed past the golden droid, ignoring the droid's speech. However, unlike R2D2, who seemed to understand Anakin's brush off, C3P0 followed his Master towards the back of the apartment. A strand of garland in C3P0's hands trailed behind him as he continued to speak to Anakin. "…How nice it is that you will be here. I am in serious need of a tune up and Miss Padmé has not had the time to do it. I was hoping…"

"We'll discuss it later, 3P0." Anakin's answer was terse and abrupt as he entered his and Padmé's bedroom. The door slid shut behind him and locked, cutting off the golden droid from the Jedi and Senator within.

Not taking a hint, C3P0 tried to open the door behind his Master. "Master Ani. I think you accidentally locked the door." The golden droid called out as he moved his hand towards the small locking mechanism to punch in the code that would let him in. "I know you have much you will need to tell me."

Without warning, a series of angry and insistent beeps sounded behind C3P0 as R2D2 arrived from the hangar bay. "What do you mean he does not need me? He's been dealing with you for months now; certainly he will require my services."

R2D2 whistled in annoyance at the other droid's comment and then swiveled his head towards the front of the apartment, indicating that the other droid should follow him.

"Must I remind you that I am programmed to understand human behavior? I cannot just stand here and do nothing, Master Anakin and Miss Padmé will need me to help them get ready for Christmas."

If R2D2 had been human he would have been rolling his eyes at his naive counterpart. However, he knew he had to act quickly before C3P0 could finish typing in the code that would unlock his Masters' bedroom door. Reaching a clawed arm at the garland C3P0 had trailed across the floor, R2D2 gave it an insistent tug, pulling the golden droid backwards.

"R2D2! What are you doing?" C3P0 shouted as he lost his footing and toppled to the floor with a thud.

R2D2 could not help but release a peal of whistles and beeps in laughter at his companion. The smaller droid rolled closer to the other droid's head as he continued to whistle and beep hysterically as the other droid threw insults at him. "You malfunctioning little twerp. I'll see you turned into scrap for this." C3P0 struggled to rise up, but fell down again in silence when R2D2 reached his clawed arm to a switch in his counterpart's neck and turned him off. It might not have been the ideal situation, but at least the tiny astromech droid had ensured his Master and Mistress would receive some privacy. R2D2 only wished that C3P0 could be less stubborn because now the little droid would be forced to drag the other's lifeless body to their shared utility closet so he would not be in the way of the two humans who called this apartment home.

* * *

Unaware of what was happening outside of her bedroom, Padmé emerged from the adjacent fresher, her body wrapped in a large gray towel after taking a quick shower. As she emerged into the bedroom, she absentmindedly ran her fingers through her still damp hair, its length cascading in her back where the drying ends began to curl. Her eyes focused on the outfit she had picked out for welcoming Anakin home. She knew he would be there at any moment and she was thrilled that the Force had granted them this time together.

Padmé was just about to pick up the crimson colored dress when she noticed movement from one of the shadowed corners of the room. Instinctively, she ran towards the hiding place of one of the blasters her husband made her keep in the room for her protection. She did not cast a glance at her would-be assailant as she reached out for her weapon, but before she could get a good grip, the weapon flew across the room and she was spun around by a set of strong arms.

"That will not be necessary today, my Angel. I will take care of you." Anakin punctuated his statement by crashing his lips against Padmé's in a feverish kiss.

"Anakin!" Padmé breathlessly answered as she pulled away from the kiss. "You scared me! How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived." Anakin murmured leaning forward to nuzzle at the column of his wife's neck as his hands worked to remove the towel around her body.

Padmé stilled Anakin's insistent hands, causing him to raise his head up to stare into her eyes. "Well, there are better ways to announce your arrival than scaring me to death." Padmé tried to make her reply indignant, but having her husband here with her was enflaming her body with longing. They had been apart for far too long and she had missed him terribly.

Anakin smiled widely as he watched Padmé's brown eyes darken with desire, he was certain his own blue eyes were doing the same as they drank in the sight of his wife's body covered only by a towel. Shrugging out of his Jedi cloak so that it fell to the floor in a puddle of cloth, Anakin drew Padmé back into his arms and pressed his lips to one of her ears. Smiling at the shudder of lust filled passion Padmé gave him, Anakin said, "Then, perhaps you can educate me on the proper way to be welcomed home."

Padmé gasped as Anakin picked her up and carried her over to their bed, but no further protests came from her. His abrupt arrival might have startled her, but the point was it was Christmas Eve and her husband was home safe and in her arms. She knew they did not have time for a petty fight, especially since it was much more enjoyable to indulge in the passion her husband was promising to give.


	2. Chapter 2

"You are so beautiful." Anakin murmured against Padmé's forehead as he placed a light kiss on it. He rolled onto his back, pulling Padmé with him so that she lay across his bare chest after their latest session of lovemaking.

"Merry Christmas." Padmé stated with a sleepy smile as she cast a glance at the nearby chrono to confirm the time before snuggling into her husband's chest.

Anakin sighed contentedly as sleep began to overtake him as well. With his wife next to him he felt completely at ease and relaxed. "Merry Christmas to you too. This looks to be the best one yet."

"What makes you say that?" Padmé murmured, while she contented herself with drawing lazy patterns with her fingertips on Anakin's broad chest.

"Because you are with me. I just wish the war would end now so I would not have to leave you."

"The cease fire is a good sign that the Separatists could be willing to open up more formal negotiations for peace. Hopefully this war will end soon and we will not be parted anymore." Padmé finished her statement with a deep yawn.

"Force willing." Anakin murmured, tightening his hold on Padmé in an affectionate hug before they both fell silent. The two lovers just enjoyed having the other near and fell asleep in each others arms.

* * *

The sound of an explosion and the rattling of Padmé's apartment startled her and Anakin awake. 

"What was that?" Padmé asked, pressing a hand to her heart that was beating frantically in her chest.

"I do not know." Anakin answered, calling on the Force to help answer the question. Although he could sense that something was wrong he could not tell what it was. Being cautious, he eased Padmé off his chest and peered out the window in her bedroom. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but he still felt the need to investigate further. Moving to the pile of clothes he and Padmé had discarded on the floor several hours earlier, Anakin quickly dressed in his pants and tunic and started towards the bedroom door. Padmé followed her husband's lead and had also started getting dressed. "I'll check it out. Finish getting dressed and meet me out there."

* * *

Anakin silently crept out of his and Padmé's bedroom, walking into the main sitting room and subsequently the balcony that provided an excellent view of the Coruscant skyline. Anakin used both his natural senses and the Force to figure out what had disturbed him and Padmé from slumber. Stepping out onto the balcony, Anakin looked left and right, relief washing over him when all he saw was the normal nighttime traffic activity of Coruscant. He still wanted an explanation for what had woken him, but seeing no immediate threat made him feel better. 

Hearing a series of beeps from R2D2, Anakin turned back towards the droid. "I do not know what it was R2, but…." Suddenly Anakin's eyes widened in terror as the Force screamed a warning to him. "Padmé!"

As Anakin screamed to his wife, a missile ripped through the wall between their bedroom and the balcony he was standing on, the force of the explosion pulled R2D2 into the missile's wake causing the droid to crash to the floor with a loud clang. However, the scream Anakin heard from Padmé drove him into a sprint towards their bedroom. "Padmé!" Anakin called out, praying that she was all right and he could get to her in time. Unfortunately, any answer she would have provided was drowned out as another missile crashed through her bedroom and subsequently towards Anakin's charging form in the sitting room. With his Jedi abilities, Anakin was able to dive for safety from the missile, immediately pushing himself up so he could reach Padmé.

Bursting through the smoldering gaping hole that used to be the doorway to the bedroom, Anakin stared in terror through the cloud of dust and debris. It was difficult to see, but Anakin knew the entire room was filled with chunks of wall, ceiling, and glass that had begun to crumble and shatter upon the missile's impact. "Padmé!" Anakin screamed into the cloud of dust. His heart rate and breathing accelerated in panic with each passing second that Padmé did not answer.

"Padmé!" Anakin continued to shout her name as he got on his hands and knees and began to search blindly through the dust and rubble for any sign of her. All around him, Anakin could hear more chunks of wall and ceiling falling in the bedroom, but he was too focused on finding his wife to pay it any attention. He continued to call out her name frantically, praying he would get a response from her.

Unable to see in the cloud of dust Anakin relied on the Force and his hands to search out Padmé and to keep himself from harm. However, the Force was forgotten when his fingers brushed against a stray silken curl. Having twined his fingers through Padmé's long hair several times, he knew what he had found. He followed the trail of hair to a pile of rubble and started pushing it away as he screamed Padmé's name. "Please, Padmé! Please." He willed her to be alive despite the fact that she was not moving or responsive to his cries. However, it would be several days before Anakin knew Padmé's fate, because in his rush to save her he failed to take notice of the wall that crumbled in on him and he did not have time to escape from the large block that hit him in the head and threw him into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Just a brief message because I've had this come up in reviews and PMs. Yes, I am quite aware that the story is dark at the moment. It is going to be like that for a bit because we have to know about the Sith before we can get to the Christmas part. You all are going to have to trust me for now.

* * *

"Anakin, can you hear me?" Anakin shook his head from side to side, trying to shake off the nightmare that was plaguing him. His sleep fogged mind did not recognize the voice that was calling out to him.

"Anakin?" The voice called out again, more insistent, but still Anakin remained asleep, shifting his head from side to side as he fought against the images playing out in his head

"Anakin?" Again the voice insisted the young man wake up.

"Padmé!" Anakin bolted upright from the medical bed he was resting in, his eyes frantically taking in his surroundings and searching for his beloved wife, but all he saw was the gnarled face of a cloaked, elderly man. "Where am I? Where is Padmé?" Anakin began to fire off questions at the stranger.

The man raised a hand to indicate that the young man should remain calm. "You are in a medical ward in the Empire's elite medical facility. You suffered a rather nasty blow to the head and have been unconscious for three days."

Anakin's eyes widened in shock as the news confirmed that the dreams that had tormented him had actually been memories of past events. "Padmé? Is she safe, is she all right?

The stranger paused for a moment before answering, his face showing no remorse or sympathy. "I am afraid your wife was killed in the attack on her apartment."

"Nooooo!" Anakin screamed, trying to push himself out of bed so he could search for some proof that the stranger was mistaken. "R2 would have…."

Raising a hand out to Anakin, the stranger stopped Anakin. "The explosions and subsequent crash of rubble in your apartment ripped your two droids apart, there was nothing left of them. The Separatists broke the cease fire and ambushed Coruscant. Your wife's apartment was caught in the line of fire."

"Noooo!" Tears began to fall from Anakin's eyes as he struggled against some invisible force that was holding him in bed. "Let me go!" He shouted in irritation at the invisible bonds.

"I am afraid I cannot do that, my Apprentice, you need to hear all I have to say." The stranger offered in reply.

"A….apprentice?" Anakin somehow managed to question the stranger's words despite the fact that his heart had shattered in his chest. "L…let me go."

"You will listen to what I have to say, you need to know who did this to you. I can help you avenge Padmé's death. You have missed a lot and do not know what treachery has occurred?"

"Where's O…O…Obi-Wan?" Anakin stuttered his friend and mentor's name as his body convulsed in grief.

"He is dead, along with the other Jedi in the Temple." Once again the stranger spoke without remorse.

"Dead?" Anakin slumped against the pillows, tears streaming from his eyes. He had hoped Obi-Wan could have proven that Padmé was safe, but if he too was dead then there was no hope.

"Yes, he and the rest of the Jedi were executed for their treachery?"

Anakin snapped his gaze to the stranger, but before he could form his next question the stranger answered him.

"I assume you do not recognize me, Anakin. Some may call me Darth Sidious, but you know me better as Chancellor Palpatine. Your fellow Jedi may have left me scarred and deformed, but that does not make me less of a friend to you." Sidious paused for a moment to let his words sink into the grief stricken man before continuing. "Instead of fighting off the Separatists, your fellow Jedi betrayed me and tried to slaughter me. I was able to dispatch with the small group that had come to engage me, and the clones took care of the rest in the Temple and the group of Separatists attacking the city."

"Why?" Anakin could not form more of a question as his body convulsed with grief.

"With years of Jedi training you should know that the Jedi and the Sith have always been enemies. Unfortunately for you, the Jedi decided to engage me rather than the Separatists. It is their fault that Padmé is dead, they chose to face the wrong enemy."

"You are a Sith Lord!" Grief turned into disgust and anger at Sidious' words, and Anakin struggled harder against the invisible bonds he now realized were part of the Sith's manipulations of the Force. The blue in Anakin's eyes shifted to a sickly yellow color before he was able to free himself and leap to the other side of the medical table. Instinctively he reached for the lightsaber at his belt, but found that it was missing.'

"Take your weapon, if you must." Sidious pulled out Anakin's lightsaber from the folds of his heavy cloak and held it out to the younger man. He was confident he could turn Anakin's increasing anger and pain to his advantage and bind the younger man to do his bidding. "But then you will never know how I can help you."

"Where is Padmé?!" Anakin glowered at the Sith, tears still streaming down his face. Now that he knew Palpatine's true identity he did not consider his earlier explanation to be the truth.

Sidious fought to hide the smile from his face. He had been wise to target Padmé in order to ensnare the young Jedi. Padmé truly held the young man's heart and destroying her allowed Sidious to cover the Jedi in a shroud of darkness. "I told you, she is dead." The Sith was pleased that over the years he had gained Anakin's trust enough so that the young Jedi often confided information in him. It gave him confidence that he had enough knowledge of the Jedi to turn him to the dark side. It may have taken careful planning to coordinate the attack on Senator Amidala's apartment, but now the Sith was reaping the rewards of his efforts, for soon he would have a new apprentice.

"Then, where is her body?" Anakin's eyes narrowed as he glared at Sidious.

"She was cremated with the rest of the planet's dead. You can ask any other citizens of my Empire, we had a large funeral in their honor."

Although he still did not want to believe it, Anakin could not stop his knees from buckling underneath him. He did not need to believe the Sith. However, the few scattered memories he had of the night of the attack indicated that Sidious was telling the truth. Padmé had been unresponsive to his frantic cries and tying that into Sidious' explanation resulted in the worst conclusion.

"I know the news is difficult to take. Your Jedi friends betrayed you. I was only glad that the clean-up crew at the Senate apartments found you there alive, it meant you had not betrayed me." Sidious paused for a moment, staring intently in Anakin's eyes. He smiled at the anger he could see rising within the young man. "Listen to me, I know you are hurting, but I can help you. I can show you a power the Jedi would never show you. Your grief and anger will fuel this power and make you stronger. You can be my second in command and together we will rout out the Separatists that killed your wife and make sure they pay for their crimes."

"Why should I join you?" Anakin's breathing was ragged as he stared at the Sith through his tears.

Sidious kept his tone soft as he spoke to the younger man, knowing grief made the younger man easy prey for the dark side of the Force. "Because you have nothing left to live for. The Jedi are gone and Padmé is gone. All you have is yourself. I can help you build a new life. You will be Darth…" Sidious paused while he contemplated a new name for his apprentice. "…Vader. And the galaxy will tremble at your feet."

A lost look came across Anakin's eyes as he shuddered at the mention of Padmé's loss. "Padmé…" Anakin murmured incoherently, the words of the Sith fading into nothingness.

"The Republic was too weak to stop the Separatists; my new Empire will see that they are dealt with. You will be free to seek your revenge for the pain they have caused you. Join me and I will grant you the power you seek."

A yellow hue slowly crept into Anakin's eyes at the Sith's words, a buzzing sounded in his ears.

"Join me and I will show you a power greater than anything you have ever seen. You will be my iron fist against all who oppose us. Padmé will be avenged!" Sidious' eyes gleamed in triumph as he watched Anakin's eyes turn a more sickly shade of yellow. He could sense his victory over the younger man, there was a deep swell of anger and despair emanating from him. In an effort to push his new apprentice over the edge, Sidious softly reiterated, "The Jedi would not save her."

Despite the hum of rage sounding in his ears, Anakin was able to hear the Sith Lord's words. It did infuriate him that the Jedi had let his wife die, but there was one thing that Sidious was forgetting. "You did not save her either!"

Anakin leapt to his feet and called upon the Force to pull his lightsaber from the Sith Lord's gnarled hands. Before the Sith could react, the younger man moved with a speed born from grief and fury as he ignited the cerulean blade of his weapon and decapitated the Sith Lord. However, the death of the Sith Lord did not end the reign of the dark side because although Anakin had killed the evil, corrupted man, the loss of his wife left a large hole in Anakin's heart that was a ready made home for his own fear, anger, and aggression to fester and grow.


	4. Chapter 4

Five years ago, Anakin Skywalker might have destroyed Darth Sidious, but the loss of his wife was too much to bear and he ended up losing himself as well. He did not become Darth Vader due to some seductive trick from Sidious, but from his own despair. Without Padmé, Anakin Skywalker ceased to exist, burying himself under the guise of his Sith persona.

Although he had not thought of it at the time, with the death of the newly christened Emperor Palpatine, the galaxy either dissolved into chaos or another leader in one man or a collective body had to rule the various systems. Temporarily, Vader decided to seize control to maintain peace and order in the galaxy. He would figure out what to do with the systems once he had some of his own questions answered, but after decapitating the Sith Lord, Anakin's sole focus was on revenge.

Vader could not turn against the Jedi, for Sidious had already seen that they were killed. Since Vader himself had already killed Sidious there was only one enemy left, the Separatists who had destroyed his beloved wife. However, despite his need for revenge, Vader did feel a nagging sensation at the back of his mind that he needed proof before doling out justice. Although all the evidence seemed to point to Padmé's death, Vader was still unsure if he could trust Sidious' word. Therefore, leaving Sidious' decapitated body for others in the medical facility to deal with, Vader stole the fastest speeder he could find and sped towards the Jedi Temple. Smoke billowed out of the building, but Anakin did not seem to care. The young Sith even ignored the dead bodies of his former friends and colleagues that littered the usually pristine floor of the Temple. Vader's sole focus was on reaching the Temple's intelligence center which fed transmissions from across the galaxy including the news broadcasts. The Temple's computers automatically archived old transmissions for later analysis and it was this, the young Sith was eager to see. As a teenager Anakin had often snuck in that room and searched for any news on his beloved Angel. Now he was going to confirm Sidious' words and he hoped the Sith was wrong.

Unfortunately pictures did not lie, and although none of the archived news footage showed close-up shots of the dead. Anakin could not deny what he saw. In death, there was a slackness to Padmé's cheeks he was not familiar with, but other than that the body's bone structure matched that of his lover's. Someone, a handmaiden perhaps, had arranged Padmé's silken curls to fan out from her face. Small white flowers had been placed in her hair and Anakin could see that they were starting to wilt as the fire began to burn brighter. In a matter of moments, the deep blue gown that draped across her soft flesh was engulfed in flame as the fire consumed the body and released his beloved's soul into the Force.

Around the funeral pyre stood Padmé's security team as well as other Nubian dignitaries and members of the Republic Senate wishing to pay their last respects. There were small groups huddled around all the funeral pyres of the people who had died during the Separatist attack, but the largest was around Padmé's and the cameras seemed to be focused on hers alone. Anyone and everyone had their chance to say goodbye except for the man who needed the closure the most. Now, Darth Vader watched on a taped video feed as his wife's body was consumed by flames.

A choked sob escaped Vader's throat as he reached a hand out to the computer's display. "I love you. I… I…I'm sorry." Unable to stop them, tears fell from Anakin's eyes and he buried his face in his hands as his body convulsed with sobs.

"Such a waste." A reporter Vader had ignored when he spotted his wife's body on the screen interrupted the young Sith's mourning. "It is a shame that war leads to such losses, whether they be your average galactic citizen, or a leading member of the Galactic Senate. It is tragic. We can only pray that the new government can end this war soon so that these lives will not have been lost in vain."

Vader's head shot up at the reporter's words, his eyes focused on Padmé's funeral pyre that was now completely engulfed in flames. Although his heart was broken and his soul was filling with a deep rage at the Separatists, Vader knew Padmé would have wanted peace to reign over the galaxy once more. She would have wanted a safe, secure, and free society, as that was always her reason for serving in the Senate.

Unable to stop it, Vader's eyes gleamed a violent shade of yellow with the knowledge that Padmé never got a chance to see the end of the war. "I will fix this, my Angel." Vader murmured through deep gasping breaths as grief and anger fought against each other within him. "I promise you." Pressing his fingertips to his lips, Vader applied a kiss to them before transferring his hand to the computer screen and resting the kiss across the image of his wife's funeral pyre. "I promise you." He murmured one last time before turning on his heel to not only seek his revenge, but to bring peace in the memory of his wife.

* * *

With the Force as his guide, it did not take Vader long to find the leaders of the Separatist movement and destroy them. However, just like killing Sidious, avenging Padmé's death did not mask the pain he felt from her loss. However, he did not let that stop him from fulfilling his promise to his Angel. With the Separatists leaders gone, their droid army was dismantled and peace settled across the galaxy. To ensue peace continued, Vader took up control of the Republic as its Emperor. Knowing Padmé loved democracy and the Republic, Vader allowed the Senate to pass most of the legislation, but when disagreements threatened stability and security, Vader was always there to intercede.

As Emperor, Vader was a bit of a recluse. He sealed himself inside the former Jedi Temple, which became his personal palace to live out his lonely existence. Whenever he did make an appearance in public, he was always heavily cloaked to hide his face from those around him. Mystery clung around the Emperor for no one knew what Emperor Vader looked like, but no one questioned it in his presence. Many citizens of the galaxy hypothesized that Vader was horrifically scarred or disfigured as Emperor Palpatine had been. However, they would have been surprised to know that the handsome, Anakin Skywalker was hiding underneath those heavy cloaks. It was not disfigurement that drove the young Sith to hide his face from the galaxy, but the fact that he did not want the galaxy to see a weak leader who had a habit of shedding tears over a tragic Christmas day.


	5. Chapter 5

The Imperial Senate would oftentimes grumble when Vader would overrule them, ceasing any debate or discussion on an issue. However, they had never, not followed his orders. Therefore, Vader was shocked to learn that there were rumors of Christmas festivities being planned on Naboo. The fact that the planetary system dared to defy him irritated the Sith, but he was appalled that Naboo's citizens could find any joy in a holiday that had destroyed everything.

It might have been five years since Padmé had been killed, but Vader still grieved every day. The citizens of Naboo might have had a chance to say farewell to their devoted Senator the day of her funeral, but Vader had not had that same chance. For him, one day Padmé was alive and well, and the next he was told the dreadful news that she was gone forever. The only things he had left to remember her by, were the video of her funeral he kept stored in a small datapad he always kept with him and a few trinkets he had managed to salvage from her damaged apartment. Most notably was a small pendant of japor.

Usually Padmé always wore the pendant, so at first glance it may have been odd for Vader to find it. However, upon closer inspection, Vader noticed that the clasp that had held the necklace around her neck had been ripped apart. Given the force of the blast that had tore through her bedroom, this was not completely surprising. However, it was a sad reminder that Padmé was truly gone.

Padmé had told him that while he had been away to war, she always wore the pendant because she claimed it made her feel like a part of him was always with her. After repairing the damaged chain, Vader had started wearing the pendant himself in the hopes that he could feel a part of Padmé with him, but he never received the desired results. All he had was a tiny pendant and the memories that went along with it, but not the thing he wanted the most.

However, no matter how useless the pendant of japor seemed to be, Vader did not give it up. Even as he read the latest reports out of Naboo, he had a hand clutched around the front of his tunics, where he held the pendant cocooned in fabric close to his heart. "How can they do this?" Vader scowled in disgust at the report before tossing it aside, towards a far wall of the former Jedi Council chambers that now served as his throne room. The datapad gave an ominous cracking noise as it split apart upon impact with the wall.

"How can they forget what happened?" Running a hand through his sandy blonde hair, Vader began to pace around the Council chambers as he talked to himself. His eyes were trained on the floor, while one hand continued to clasp the pendant of japor.

"She was their Senator, how can they celebrate on the anniversary of her death?" A tear threatened to escape Vader's eyes, so he quickly brushed it away and took a deep breath to calm himself. Stopping his pacing to stare blindly out of one of the large transparisteel windows that overlooked the cityscape of Coruscant, Vader continued to lament. "How can they forget her?"

Fighting back his grief caused the hand that was holding onto the japor pendant to shake, and the longer Vader suppressed his need to mourn the angrier he became. With growing rage the tears that clouded his eyes caused the yellow hue to build in them, and seemingly highlighting and enhancing the unnatural color. "How dare they!" Vader growled in menace, his hand finally leaving the pendant so he could clench it into a fist at his side, mirroring his other hand.

"How dare they!" Vader's growl became a shout that reverberated and echoed off the Council chambers walls. "I will not let them forget her!" Speaking out into the speeder traffic outside as if they were attentive subjects of his realm, Vader added, "Christmas was banned the moment she died. It is a time for mourning, not for merriment with family, but apparently Naboo needs a reminder of this…." Vader paused for a moment and took another calming breath, but this did not abate the sickly color that had settled in his eyes. "They can make their Christmas plans, but they will learn the penalty for defying me when they wake up Christmas day."

At the end of his statement, Vader strode out of his throne room, to the Temple's communication center to call up the contingent of troops he would need for his plan to work. Five years ago, Vader had woken up to nothing. Now as punishment for forgetting his Angel, he would ensure the citizens of Naboo woke up Christmas morning to the same.

* * *

Vader's plans were set into motion a week before Christmas as he orbited the home planet of his beloved. He spent the days till Christmas Eve gathering information on how the planet was marking the upcoming Christmas holiday. Each picture of festive decorations and smiling faces intensified Vader's resolve to go through with his plan. If he could not be happy on this holiday, then he saw no reason why others should as well. He might have let the Senate provide most of the governing of the systems, but he was still Emperor and in this one instance he stubbornly refused to be defied.

Naboo was unaware that a large Star Destroyer was circling their planet. Had they known some people might have had second thoughts on going against the Emperor's ban on the Christmas holiday. However, everybody thought the Emperor was hold up in his throne room on Coruscant where he might be angered by the planet's festivities, but given his reclusive nature the people of Naboo doubted the Emperor would do anything.

All citizens' understood the significance of the Emperor's Galactic Day of Mourning, but they also felt they should celebrate in what they had besides solely focusing on the past. Additionally, the democracy loving citizens felt that dictating a ban on a holiday was wrong and part of their rebellious actions were to send a signal to the Emperor that power was with a government's citizens and not its leader. Since Senator Amidala had always championed democracy, many felt this "Christmas rebellion" was an excellent way to remember all that she stood for and what she had died for five Christmases ago.

Unfortunately, Vader did not share the vision that the citizens of Naboo did. All he could see was that by indulging in holiday cheer, they were forgetting his wife. So late Christmas Eve, when he was sure that all the citizens of Naboo were asleep, he and a small contingent of troops flew a series of shuttles down to the planet's surface. With an unnatural speed, fueled by the dark side of the Force, Vader silently crept into all of the houses and stole every decoration, present, and scrap of food for the Christmas feasts in the houses across Naboo.

When Vader had filled one shuttle with all of his stolen goods, he would order one of his troops to take the shuttle back to his ship where the goods were supposed to be sent to one of the garbage shoots for compacting. He would then have another empty shuttle brought forward to begin filling.

With the Force on his side, Vader stripped the planet of Naboo of all signs of the Christmas holiday in record time. The planet was still asleep when Vader approached his last house, a cottage in a small non-descript town outside of the city of Theed. Using the Force to unlock the front door, Vader was careful as he stepped inside the small house and began his work. As with every other house, he took no notice of his surroundings, he was simply stripping it bare and then leaving. Come morning, cries would sound across Naboo and the planet would know what it was like to feel loss, but for now the quiet made his work move faster.

Easy work was made of the final cottage and the last item to make its way out was a large tree that stood in a far corner. Holding a hand out at the tree, Vader closed his eyes and called upon the Force to levitate it out the cottage door and towards his waiting ship. However, two small sleepy voices startled the Sith Lord out of his concentration and the tree fell with a loud clunk as he turned to two small children, who each voiced the same question. "Santa?"


	6. Chapter 6

"What?" Vader asked with a start once the tree has fallen to the ground. His hand moved to the lightsaber hilt at his hip as he turned towards the two small children. A little boy with sandy blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes and a little girl with long brown hair and soulful brown eyes stared up at him with shock and wonder as their sleepiness dissolved into bewilderment.

"Santa? What are you wearing?" The little girl was the first to speak, cocking her head to one side as she took in the man's black tunic, trousers, and cloak.

"Ummmm…" Seeing no imminent threat from two small children, Vader moved his hand away from his lightsaber hilt and racked his brain for some story he could tell the little girl. If the children's mother or father woke up before he could get out of here, things could get rather nasty. He wanted to cause Naboo pain, but he had not intended for a struggle to ensue. Naboo was supposed to be oblivious of his presence and starting a fight with the parents of these two children was not part of his plan. "Well… well… my… my…" Suddenly an idea popped in Vader's head and he straightened as he said, "My suit was dirty and I had to get it cleaned."

Beside what Vader assumed was his sister, the little boy scrunched up his nose and stated rather loudly, "But… I thought you had a beard and a round belly."

Vader held one hand out to the boy and the other he pressed to his lips in a gesture of silence. He said the first thing that came to mind in hopes that would placate the precocious child. "I shaved and lost the weight. Now if you two would go to bed…."

Before Vader could finish his statement, the little boy spoke up one more time. "I saw you moving our tree without touching it, are you a Jedi Knight?"

Reflexively, Vader reached for the pendant of japor that was hidden under his tunic as he felt a pang of regret and despair over the reminder of the organization he had thought supported him. He was upset that they had been wiped out on Sidious' orders, but at the same time he felt resentment that they had not been there to help save his wife. Losing himself in unhappy thoughts, Vader failed to realize that the two small children had stepped closer to him.

"Santa, why were you taking our tree?" The little girl asked while tugging on Vader's trouser leg to grab his attention.

Vader gave his head a shake as he looked down at the two small children that stood before him. The situation was getting worse by the second, and Vader knew that if he wanted to make a clean escape he would have to come up with a lie that would convince those children to go back to bed. Kneeling down so that he was eye level with the girl and boy, Vader cast a glance at the tree to look for any excuse for his behavior. "Well… I… I…." Vader's eyes focused on the small colored bulbs on the tree. "I… noticed one of the lights was burnt out, so I was taking it to my workshop to fix it and then I would bring it back here." Vader looked into the children's eyes and was pleased to see a sense of trust in their eyes. The children believed Vader's lies. However, something about the wide smiles on their faces gave Vader a moment's pause. Although he had never met these children before he had this sense that he should recognize them. However, the Sith pushed this thought aside as he focused on getting the children to bed.

"And then you'll bring our present?" The little boy asked excitedly.

Vader paused for a moment listening to the rest of the house as he gestured the little boy to remain silent. When he was certain the child's parents were not awake, he whispered in response, "As long as you two go to bed, I will make sure there is a large sack of toys left for you." The lie seemed to nag at Vader's conscious for a moment, but he ignored as he stared back at the children. However, he was shocked when the faces of the two children fell in despair at the mention of his gift. Curious as to what brought this on, Vader asked, "What is it?"

The little girl sniffled slightly as she replied, "We sent you a letter. We did not want toys this year."

Vader rolled his eyes in frustration that putting two small children to bed could be so impossible, but as he watched their chins quiver with stifled cries and sobs, Vader knew he had to act quickly. Sitting on the floor he opened his arms wide and gestured that the two children should sit beside him. "Well, I must not have received your letter." A sigh escaped Vader before he added, "So tell me what you do want."

"We want our daddy." The small boy answered.

"Your father?" Vader repeated the request with a look of confusion on his face.

"Yes." The little girl nodded. "Mommy said he died, but we thought you could bring him back."

The little boy nodded. "Mommy loved him very much and it makes her sad that he is gone. I miss him too."

The look of innocence in the children's eyes tugged at Vader's heart. Like him, they had suffered a loss too and something inside him wanted to make it better so they would not suffer the same pain he always felt. With all his friends and family killed, he had nothing to live for, but it seemed wrong that these two children should suffer the same fate. He knew he could not bring back the dead, for if he could, he would have brought Padmé back years ago. However, that did not solve the problem the children had laid before him. "I cannot bring your father back. I do not have that power."

Tears formed in the faces of the children and their bodies stated to shake with tears. "But… but… We thought…" The children muttered as they failed to stifle their sadness.

"Shhh! Don't cry!" Vader hushed the children, pulling them in his arms in an attempt muffle the sounds of their sobs from anyone else in the house. Their tears were reminding him of his own grief and it was almost too much to bear. Mindless of anything else he could do to get the children to settle down he spoke the first words that came to mind. "Maybe there is another solution." Vader knew there was not, but he did not know what else to say. "Tell me about your father."

Furiously rubbing a tear out of his eye as he rested his head against Vader's broad chest, the little boy answered, "Mommy says he was a brave Jedi Knight."

"A Jedi Knight?" Vader's brow furrowed with confusion in response to the child's reply. Vader had never heard of a Jedi Knight having a child and as attachment was considered to be forbidden in the Jedi code, it would have been frowned upon. Vader knew this because his relationship with Padmé went against the code, which is why very few people knew about it. Vader had only confided in Palpatine, and he believed Padmé had only told a few handmaidens about it so they could distract the rest of her security team so that she and Vader could have some alone time. The thought that he had not been the only one to betray the Jedi code within the Order was a bit of a shock and made him hunger for more information. "Do you know who your father was?"

The two children shook their heads. "We did not know him."

"No, I know that." Vader replied. "But do you know his name; I might know who he is?"

"His name is Daddy." The little boy answered, his eyes lighting up with hope that Santa might know his father.

Vader raised a hand to his forehead, trying to forestall the headache that was being caused by speaking to two small children. "What is your mother's name?"

"Mommy." The little girl answered, her own eyes lighting up with hope that her and her brother's Christmas wish could get granted.

Vader sighed resignedly, "No, that is not what I meant."

"But that's her name." The little boy said determinedly.

"I'm sure." Vader fell silent as he searched his mind for another way to get the information he wanted.

"Santa?" The two children prodded after a few moments of silence.

Although it was unlikely the children would give him a useful answer, Vader could think of only one thing that might help him determine who in the Jedi Order had fathered them. "What are your names?"

"I'm Leia." The little girl pointed to herself, and then gestured to her brother as she added, "And that's Luke."

"All right, what is your last name?"

"It's a long one." Luke commented as he waited to see if Vader still wanted to hear it.

"That is fine. Just tell me." While he listened intently for a response, Vader started running through the names of all the Jedi he had once known to try to figure out who could possibly be the children's father. He could not think of anyone he considered to have a long last name, in fact, everyone that he could think of had a shorter last name than his own former Jedi self.

However, the children solved the mystery for Vader when they both answered in unison, "Naberrie Amidala Skywalker."


	7. Chapter 7

"What did you say?" Vader blinked several times in shock as he looked at the two innocent faces before him. He knew he must have heard them wrong.

"Our last name is Naberrie Amidala Skywalker." Leia replied, smiling up at Vader.

"No… no…" Vader repeated over and over as he ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Yes, it is." Luke answered back, casting Vader a look of confusion as he tried to figure out why Vader was disagreeing with him.

"It can't be!" Vader's voice rose, the startling announcement making him break his attempts to remain silent and not wake up the rest of the house.

"Santa? What's wrong?" Both Luke and Leia frowned at Vader as they watched him start to pace between the two of them.

"It can't be. It can't be…." Vader continued to repeat as he paced the floor of the children's home, his black cloak billowing out behind him. "She's dead! I saw it!"

Paling at his words, both children's chins began to tremble in fear as they watched Vader's progress across the room. "Santa, what's wrong?"

Stopping in mid stride and throwing his hands up onto his head as if staving off an intense headache, Vader turned towards Luke and Leia. "How old are you?"

The Sith's sudden movement caused the twins to jump in fright. Unable to speak, the two twins merely raised four fingers in the air in answer to Vader's question.

The Sith planned to yell at the children and force them to speak the truth, but something in the Force warned him to take a moment and look closer at the children that claimed to be his. Luke had his sandy blond hair and vibrant blue eyes. Vader could also sense a bit of his own recklessness, but Padmé's unfailing resolve. Leia seemed to share the same physical attributes as Padmé, but something in the Force told him she could be as stubborn as he was. It was almost like Vader was looking at miniature versions of Padmé and himself.

"Santa?" Both Luke and Leia asked with ever growing concern, their voices were small and tentative as they prodded Vader to answer them.

"Where is your mother?" Vader asked, needing confirmation of what he had discovered.

"She's sleeping." Luke and Leia answered together. "Wait!" Both called out when Vader abruptly turned on his heel towards the back rooms of the cottage, searching for the bed chamber that would give him the proof he needed.

Ignoring the children, Vader started using the Force to open up doors. The first one revealed a small play room with various toys scattered across the floor. A few paces from that was a small bedroom in shades of pink and lavender. "That is my room." Leia stated behind Vader, but the Sith ignored the child and moved on.

The third room was decorated in blue and green and there were spare droid parts and clothing scattered throughout. "Mommy's room is the last one down the hall." Luke explained as Vader peered into his own room.

Shaking with nervous anticipation as he approached the door Luke indicated, Vader held his breath as he opened the door and peered inside. The room was dark except for the Nubian moonlight that filtered through the windows, falling across a lone figure atop the large bed against the room's far wall.

"Padmé?" Anakin whispered to himself, his feet moving automatically to his wife's bedside. His heart beat frantically in his chest; never in a thousand millennia would he have ever suspected that she was alive. He seriously wondered if he was dreaming that her silken curls were tangled against the pillows as she slumbered peacefully in bed. However, the fact that he could feel the insistent tug of two small hands on his trouser legs seemed to disprove that this was solely his imagination at work. It was an unfamiliar sensation he was certain he could not imagine on his own.

"Shhh!" Luke and Leia both hushed Vader rather loudly. "You'll wake her up!"

Vader did not care what Luke or Leia had to say, he wanted answers. Why had Padmé never come looking for him, and why did she fake her death. He wanted to kiss her and shake her awake, but he had not figured out what he wanted to do first. For five years she had haunted him, but now sleeping peacefully in her bed was the woman he loved and evidently the mother of his children.

Brushing aside a tear of joy, Vader then reached a hand out to Padmé to awaken her, but he was stopped by the sound of a familiar cultured accent echoing in the Force. "I can sense your presence, my padawan. Do not round on Padmé for this, I can explain everything."

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin murmured, his hand slipping to Padmé's cheek as he looked around the room for Obi-Wan's presence.

Before the voice of his former master could answer, Padmé gave a deep sigh and she reflexively turned her cheek into Vader's hand. "Anakin." She mumbled sleepily, a small smile forming on her lips.

"That's what she calls daddy." Leia explained in a whisper.

As everything bombarded him at once, Vader's knees buckled and he settled himself on the floor. All that had kept him enshrouded in darkness had been a lie and although he felt he should have been irritated by this, he could not find room for any anger. Finding his wife alive and safe and meeting two children he never knew he had, filled Vader's heart with such love and joy that it left no room for darkness.

"Santa, are you all right?" Luke and Leia whispered, drawing closer to Vader, but being careful so they would not wake up their mother.

Obi-Wan's voice filtered through the Force before Anakin could answer. "Be careful padawan, they do not know about any of this. I can explain, but you will need to delay your family reunion for a moment. I'll be outside waiting for you."

Vader heard Obi-Wan's instructions and the Force whispered the wisdom of hearing the story that had brought him and his family to this point. However, for a moment all Vader could do was indulge in what he had found. "Everything's fine. Come here you two." Vader whispered softly to his children, opening his arms wide so they could enter his embrace.

Tentatively both children stepped closer to Vader, unsure of what to make of his recent erratic behavior. However, this seemed to be forgotten as they each gave Vader a hug and settled themselves into his lap. Raising a hand to his neck, Vader tugged at the pendant of japor he wore and placed it gently in Padmé's open hand. Anakin could not help the grin that spread across his face as in her sleep Padmé reflexively closed her hand around the tiny pendant.

"Is that a present for Mommy?" Luke asked as he watched Vader lean away from his mother before drawing both him and Leia tighter into his embrace.

"It is very pretty." Leia commented. However there was a frown on her face and her tone was rather glum. "But she would be happier if Daddy was here."

"I'll make sure your father is home for Christmas and that he stays for good." Vader murmured in response before placing a light kiss to the foreheads of his two children.

"Really?" Luke and Leia spoke excitedly, causing Padmé to stir restlessly in her sleep. The previous statement that "Santa could not bring back the dead," was forgotten.

Eyes twinkling with unshed tears of joy, Anakin pressed a finger to his lips to hush his young children. "I promise you." Vader whispered, before scooping his children up into his arms so he could carry them to their beds and tuck them in for the first time before he would leave to hear Obi-Wan's explanation. Although he had no desire to leave his family now that he had found them, Vader knew he had loose ends to tie up if he intended on keeping his promise to his children

No matter what Obi-Wan told him, Vader had a Christmas to save. However, it would not be a Sith that took on this rescue mission. With love and joy filling his heart, the darkness could no longer cling to the man that had been Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. In the wake of the darkness his former self emerged. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker had returned.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hello everybody, just a quick note. To have this finished in time for the holiday I'll be posting twice today: this chapter, and in a few minutes, the final chapter. Just want to make sure no one misses anything. Happy Holidays!

* * *

Putting two very excited young children to bed was a near impossible task, as neither wanted to settle down. However, Anakin would not have missed it for all the power in the galaxy. He had four years of lost time to make up for and it seemed fitting that one of his first fatherly duties was settling his two children back to bed to give their mother a few more hours of sleep.

Tucking Leia under her covers, Anakin held Luke on his lap as he told each of them a bedtime story. Leia had wanted to hear a love story about princesses and princes and Luke had wanted to hear an adventure story of Jedi Knights. In the end, Anakin was able to compromise with his two children by telling them the love story of a Jedi Knight and a Senator of the Galactic Republic. Both Luke and Leia fell asleep before Anakin could reach his favorite part where the Senator and Jedi got to live happily ever after, but he knew there would be time for that later.

Shifting Luke's sleeping form in his arms, Anakin leaned down and placed a light kiss on Leia's forehead, murmuring, "Sweet dreams, princess," before taking her brother to his own room.

Settling Luke against his pillows after dodging the miscellaneous droid parts that littered the little boy's bedroom floor, Anakin pulled a blanket over his son as he tucked him into bed. Mirroring his actions with Leia, Anakin leaned in and placed a kiss on Luke's forehead softly whispering, "Good night, my son."

Carefully creeping out of Luke's bedroom, Anakin was careful to close the door silently so as not to wake either of his children. Out in the hall, Anakin gave a contented sigh and was just starting to creep towards Padmé's bedroom when he was interrupted by Obi-Wan's voice echoing in the Force. "Padawan? You are not planning on rounding on Padmé, are you? She is not responsible for any of this."

Anakin gave a half sigh and growl of frustration in being reminded of his meeting with his former Master. "I'm coming." He stated half heartedly.

Stepping out of the front door of the small cottage that housed his family, Anakin searched the snow covered ground for any sign of Obi-Wan. However, the search was not necessary when a cultured voice sounded as a cloaked figure strode around the side of the cottage. "I thought I would never see you again, my padawan."

"I thought you and Padmé had been killed five years ago." Anakin responded, unsure of what else to say. Finding out that the people he had cared about the most had survived the attack from long ago was overwhelming.

Obi-Wan nodded, studying the younger man carefully, just as he had been eavesdropping on the Force presence that interacted with the family inside the tiny Nubian cottage. "Which is why you deserve an explanation. You have just received a huge shock, and Padmé, Luke, and Leia are about to receive an equally large shock. You need to understand what happened five years ago before you rush in and claim your family."

"Why?" Anakin asked indignantly.

"Because although I did not sense it before, I believe you have been hiding under the guise of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith and Emperor of the galaxy. I swore to protect Anakin Skywalker's family from the Sith, upon my friend's death. I do not believe that I am looking at Darth Vader right now, but I refuse to break my promise until I am sure." Obi-Wan's gaze was sharp and penetrating, almost like he was attempting to look into Anakin's soul.

Having sensed a disturbance in the Force and feeling it resonate from Padmé's cottage; Obi-Wan had immediately left his own home nearby to protect the Skywalker family. He had been prepared to enter the cottage with his lightsaber drawn to defend his former padawan's family, but he had pulled himself back when he had sensed who had entered. However, with both light and dark emotions emanating off the younger man. Obi-Wan decided to be more cautious in drawing the intruder out before confronting him. He needed to find out what he was dealing with before he acted, particularly since Luke and Leia had been so close.

A sudden wave of guilt from his actions over the last five years flooded over Anakin, and his head dropped in shame. His voice was remorseful as he explained, "I only wanted to make sure what happened to Padmé, did not happen to others. I… I could not save her, so I did the only thing I could to honor her."

"Padmé would have preferred the restoration of the Republic. Even today she was participating in Christmas celebrations with your children in direct violation of your law against it. She has never believed in the rule of one." Obi-Wan stated, his gaze never leaving Anakin as he waited for a response.

Anakin blinked several times as Obi-Wan's words hit him. His mentor was correct. Padmé would have preferred the restoration of the Republic she served rather than have it overruled by an Emperor. He had been so focused on his grief of losing her and his need to ensure similar events to the attack on her apartment never occurred that he had forgot to think about what she would have wanted. Engulfed in darkness as a Sith Lord, he had only been focused on his own feelings. Now that his error had been revealed to him, Anakin felt a sense of dread that although he had found them, he was no longer worthy of the family within the cottage behind him.

A small smile formed across Obi-Wan's lips as he watched Anakin shift uncomfortably as his guilt cascaded through the Force. "A Sith Lord would never second guess his decisions or feel bad for what he had done. Only a Jedi would feel remorse." Stepping closer to Anakin, Obi-Wan pulled his former padawan into a big hug and stated, "Force, I thought you were dead!"

Anakin returned the hug hesitantly, so overwhelmed by everything that he stuttered as he tried to respond to his mentor. "I… I… just cannot believe it. You, the children, Padmé… I just don't understand…. Millions of people saw her funeral. Even the planetary system of Naboo acknowledges it. Am I dreaming this?" Once again a shiver of fear ran down Anakin's spine at the thought that this could all be part of his imagination.

Obi-Wan smiled widely at Anakin, "No, my friend, you never lost Padmé. That funeral you saw was my doing. I was trying to protect her from the Sith, as I know you would have done.

Anakin's brow furrowed in confusion from this statement. "Who was on that funeral pyre?"

Obi-Wan pulled away from Anakin and gestured towards a small bench on the porch of Padmé's cottage. He strode over to it and sat down. "What you and the rest of the galaxy saw was the funeral of Dormé, one of Padmé's handmaidens. Dormé was killed trying to save her mistress. She had been crushed by falling debris. Since they found her lifeless body in Padmé's bedchamber, they thought it was the Senator and not her bodyguard. Despite the oversight, it was a great opportunity for me to get Padmé off the planet without the Sith's notice. So I did nothing to correct the error, not that I could since I was supposed to be dead with the rest of the Jedi." Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

"Dormé?" Anakin echoed as he sat down next to Obi-Wan. Now that he thought about it, he had always thought there was a slight roundness to Padmé's cheeks as she lay on that funeral pyre that she had ever had. At the time he had thought it was just an effect of death, but now that he was told it was not Padmé on that funeral pyre, but one of her loyal handmaidens, the unfamiliar appearance made sense.

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. "I did notify Dormé's family and they swore to keep it all a secret. It has been hard on them, but Padmé visits them from time to time and last I heard they have practically adopted your two children as their own grandchildren."

Anakin gave a small sad smile at this. His heart went out to Dormé's family. He knew how it felt to lose someone close to you. In a way, it almost seemed unfair that he had been able to find his family alive and well.

Obi-Wan could sense Anakin was becoming lost in thought, so he spoke up a bit to capture the younger man's attention. "What I think you need is an explanation of what happened five Christmases ago. I was in bed when the first explosions hit the Senate apartment building, but the sound was loud enough to shake the walls of the Jedi Temple and wake me up. Without a window view of the Senate apartment complex, I did not know what was going on, so I dressed in a hurry and left to find out what had happened. As soon as I made it to the main hallway of the Temple, Masters Windu, Yoda, Fisto, and Ti stopped me and informed me that they had just received intelligence that Chancellor Palpatine was the Sith Lord we had been looking for over the years. They also said that he had ordered an attack on the Senate apartment complex, but they needed me to join them in arresting the Sith while they sent another team to secure the apartments."

A frown creased Obi-Wan's brow and his normally confident voice cracked slightly as he continued. "I did not go with them and I felt in the Force when the Sith murdered them." Obi-Wan shivered slightly before adding, "But I could not follow them. I had to find out if you were all right. You were my best friend and I could not bear the thought of losing you, selfish as it was."

A small smile formed across Obi-Wan's lips as he progressed through his story. "Although you never confided in me, I knew about your relationship with Padmé. You were never good about hiding your feelings for her."

Shaking his head as his smile dissolved, Obi-Wan added, "I was horrified when I reached the Temple's main hangar bay and could see the smoke billowing out from the Senate complex. I did not count windows, but I can remember knowing that Padmé's had been hit. I was so worried for you that I think I might have outmatched some of your best flying maneuvers to reach it."

"Even on a bad day you could never top me in flying." Anakin joked in response, causing his former mentor to chuckle lightly.

"No, I guess you are right." Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders. "However, I was rather reckless in my journey to the Senate apartments that night. As I landed my starfighter on the remains of Padmé's balcony, another shockwave rocked Coruscant and I turned in time to see the Temple engulfed in flames. I would feel in the Force later that all inside had been killed and the Jedi that had taken fighters to stop the Separatists attack would be shot down by their own clone troops on Palpatine's orders.

"However, as I took in the cloud of dust, smoke, and rubble, that used to be Padmé's apartment, I was mindless to everything else except finding you." Obi-Wan explained. "I found you in Padmé's bedchamber, after I heard some rubble shift and a subsequent scream. I entered the bedchamber to find you, Padmé, and Dormé buried under rubble. I used the Force to push aside everything and checked on all three of you. Dormé was gone at that point, but you and Padmé both had a pulse and I could feel your presence strongly in the Force."

"Then how did we get separated?" Anakin asked, prompting his mentor for the rest of the story.

"As I was trying to pull both of you out of the rubble, I could sense a tremor in the Force warning me that danger was near. I quickly shoved you in a darkened corner, hoping it would give you some cover while I took Padmé and hid her with me. I knew you would never forgive me if I let anything happen to her. However, she started to rouse slightly and kept murmuring your name as if she was searching for her. I struggled to keep her quiet while a band of clones entered the room. Pressing my hand against her mouth to muffle the sound, I watched the clones remove Dormé's body. However, they must have been told that you would be there because they kept saying they could not leave without you. I watched them move towards you and started to reach for my lightsaber when Padmé faintly called out to you once more and I had to rush to stop her from giving away our hiding place. However, the clones did not seem to notice, as they murmured that you were still alive before they plunged some sort of syringe into your body. I watched in horror as your body convulsed for a moment before your Force presence suddenly disappeared and your body quit moving.

Obi-Wan raised a hand to Anakin's shoulder and squeezed slightly to emphasize his point. "I thought they had killed you! I felt this rage boil within me, and I almost acted on it, until I felt a different presence that was similar to yours. I remember feeling overwhelming disbelief when I realized it resonated from Padmé's womb and what it all meant. Despite my grief for you I knew you would have wanted me to save her and your children, so I pushed my feelings aside and did just that. The hardest thing I ever had to do was tell Padmé that you were gone, once she finally woke up, but I promised to protect her and nine months later, I added your children to that promise."

Anakin brushed aside a tear that had formed in his eyes. "You saved her?"

"I could not let the Sith destroy her or your children after he had killed you."

"I woke up three days later and killed him." Anakin's mind worked through all that Obi-Wan had told me. "He had said he had killed all of the Jedi and I could not sense any nearby."

Obi-Wan nodded. "All were lost, and I cloaked my presence to keep Padmé safe."

Recognition shone in Anakin's eyes, "The injection the clones gave me, must have blocked my Force abilities. I had struggled against the Sith until I started giving into my anger."

Obi-Wan nodded. "This explains why I would sometimes sense your presence in the Force. I thought it was just my grief playing tricks on me, but you were not actually dead."

Anakin ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "I cannot believe this. I cannot thank you enough, but I have to go…" Anakin stood from his chair and started to walk toward his nearby shuttle.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted sharply, rising up from his seat. "What in the blazes are you doing? What about Padmé, Luke, and Leia? You promised your twins they would have their father for Christmas."

"Yes, I know, but I am not about to give them a father who is known for being an overbearing dictator who steals Christmas. I need to fix some things before I fulfill my promise to them."

For a moment Obi-Wan contemplated what Anakin told him and started to smile as he read in his former padawan's eyes what his plans were. Despite the years, master and padawan could still tell what they other was thinking. "You must do what you feel is right, of course."

Anakin beamed at his friend and mentor. "I will return in the morning, don't tell Padmé, I want to surprise her."

"I would not worry about Padmé. I would worry about disappointing your twins. They are as stubborn as you are." Obi-Wan chuckled as he waved his former padawan to get moving as the moons of Naboo were already starting to shift from their high point in the sky.

In a rush, Anakin pulled out a comlink and ordered that all the goods that had been taken to his star destroyer be brought back to the planet's surface where it would be unloaded. It was a long night. However, with love and happiness in his heart, Anakin returned Naboo's Christmas faster than Darth Vader and the dark side of the Force had taken it.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** For those who missed my note on chapter 8, I posted twice today, so make sure you have read both chapter 8 and this final chapter. Happy Holidays!

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The first rays of morning light peaking through Luke and Leia's windows acted as an alarm to both children. It was as if their young bodies were instantly aware that it was Christmas morning. "It's Christmas!" Both children shouted excitedly in unison, to rouse the rest of the house. The two then bolted into the hall and shouted once more. "It's Christmas!"

"Let's go get Mommy!" Leia exclaimed with delight to her brother.

"Yes!" Luke said with equal jubilation as he raced his sister to their mother's bedroom, flinging the door open and running to the side of their mother's bed. Padmé was lying on her side with the japor pendant that Anakin had left for her still clutched in her hand.

"Mommy! Mommy! Wake up! It's Christmas!" Luke and Leia called out as they shook their mother awake.

"It's too early." Padmé mumbled sleepily although a faint smile was forming across her lips because she knew that would not deter her insistent children.

"It's morning, Mommy." Leia replied to her mother's response.

"Santa's come already and he left you something." Luke responded.

Sighing, Padmé woke up and pushed herself up into a sitting position against the pillows, she failed to realize that she had been holding onto the tiny japor pendant, and it fell from her fingertips to the floor as she roused from slumber. Extending her arms out wide she waited for a good morning hug from her children. "Merry Christmas my little ones."

Luke jumped into his mother's embrace, causing her dark blue nightgown to wrinkle more than it had in her sleep. "Merry Christmas, Mommy!"

"Leia, don't I get a hug from you?" Padmé asked her daughter who had ducked down to pick up Padmé's discarded necklace. "What are you doing down there?"

"You dropped your necklace." Leia stated as she climbed onto the bed, her tiny fist clutched tightly around the small pendant.

"What necklace?" Padmé's brow furrowed, she could not recall having a necklace on before going to bed.

"The one Santa brought you." Luke answered as Leia held out the necklace to her mother.

"It's very pretty." Leia added as Padmé stared dumbstruck at her daughter's hand.

Tears formed in Padmé's eyes and her hands shook as she picked up the necklace from her daughter. Padmé tried to be strong, but the emotions tied to the object in her daughter's hands were too strong to subdue. The tiny pendant in Leia's fingers was identical to the one Anakin had made her years ago. She had not seen anything like it since the Christmas day that Anakin had died. Before that fateful day, she had always worn the trinket he had made for her. However, she had lost it somewhere during the attack on her Coruscant apartment and like the love of her life, the tiny trinket had vanished forever. Seeing the copy of the pendant now tore at the wounds in Padmé's heart from losing her beloved husband.

Noting their mother's distress, both Luke and Leia were quick to respond. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing my little ones." Padmé gathered her children into her arms and hugged them tightly, willing herself to take comfort in the fact that a part of Anakin lived on through them.

"Why are you crying?" The two twins asked with concern.

"Don't you like your necklace?" Leia added.

Padmé was silent for a moment and took a deep steadying breath before speaking. Although she was starting to win her battle against her tears, her voice was still a bit shaky when she spoke to her children. "I like it very much." Raising a hand to her face, Padmé brushed away her tears.

"Then why are you crying?" Luke asked his mother, cocking his head to one side as he searched his mother's face for an answer.

"It's nothing. I am all right. It is just your…" Padmé faltered for a moment as her voice cracked before she could continue. "Your father made me a necklace just like this one, a long time ago."

"Ah ha! Then Santa is keeping his promise." Luke stated excitedly, leaping from his mother's bed and grasping one of her hands so he could tug at it insistently. "Come on Mommy, we have to see what else Santa brought us. I think you will like it."

"Yes, Mommy! Come on!" Leia joined her brother.

Padmé laughed at her children's excitement over the holiday. "Well give me a second to find my robe and then you can see if you got the toys you asked for."

"We did not ask Santa for toys." Luke and Leia continued to tug at their mother's hands. "We asked him to bring Daddy back for Christmas."

Padmé gasped, and immediately turned her children towards her. Luke and Leia had given her a long list of toys that they had wanted for Christmas and when they had scribbled notes to Santa on their datapads, she had thought he would be receiving a similar list. Had she known what they had actually asked for she might have thought of some way to respond to the request, but without any warning she was caught completely off guard and she feared that disappointment would taint the holiday for her children.

Kneeling down to her children's level, Padmé spoke softly and slowly to make sure they understood her. "We have talked about this before. You know your father passed away a long time ago."

"Yes, but Santa promised to bring him back." Luke beamed widely at his mother while Leia nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Guys, you cannot bring back the dead." Padmé's heart broke that she had to dash her children's dreams.

"But Santa is magical." Leia responded.

"Yes, I saw his lightsaber." Luke added.

"Santa does not carry a lightsaber." Padmé shook her head sadly as she gazed at her two children. "Only a Jedi carries that kind of weapon and even they cannot bring back the dead. I know you two miss not having a father, but we cannot bring him back." Padmé's hand tightened around the pendant of japor as her voice cracked once more.

A scowl of angry defiance that made her two children look like their father spread across their young faces. "Santa promised! Come on, we'll show you!" Not waiting for their mother anymore, Luke and Leia wrenched themselves from her grasp and sprinted towards the front of the cottage.

"Wait!" Padmé shouted back at them fearful of the disappointment that was about to ensue when they did not get what they wanted. Finding her favorite blue robe thrown over a chair next to her vanity, Padmé grabbed it and pulled it around herself as she ran after her children.

Just as she was expecting a look of shock and disappointment crossed her children's faces as they came face to face with a man in their sitting room. However, it wasn't their father, but their uncle Obi-Wan who stood ready to greet them.

"What are you doing here?" Luke and Leia asked with a hint of indignation as they stared up at their uncle.

Padmé cast Obi-Wan an apologetic look and mouthed silently that she would explain later. The wide smile across Obi-Wan's face caused Padmé's heart to ache because she knew when she told him that the twins had been searching for their father, that the smile would be gone. She might have lost her husband, but Obi-Wan had lost his best friend five years ago.

"Maybe Santa left us a clue!" Luke declared with confidence, diving for the pile of presents underneath their Christmas tree. "He brought back our tree like he said he would."

"He won't break his promise." Leia added moving to grab her own sets of presents.

A pained look came across Padmé's face as she took a seat on the large couch in the sitting room. "They are going to be disappointed."

"Oh, I would not be so sure of that." Obi-Wan replied to Padmé waving a hand so that the nearby holo turned to one of the morning news broadcasts before sitting on the opposite end of the couch from Padmé.

Padmé shook their head. "You do not know what they want."

"If the long list of toys they have been spouting off for the last few days is any sign, then I think I have an idea." Obi-Wan smiled widely. "By the way, Merry Christmas."

Padmé was about to confess to Obi-Wan, what the twins were searching for in their various boxes, but a sharp knock sounded to the front door of the cottage. Luke and Leia did not notice it as they discarded various toys into a pile as they searched for what they truly wanted, and Obi-Wan glanced at the door before turning back to the news reports. Distractedly, Padmé rose from her seat to find out who was at the door. Over the din of wrapping paper being ripped by her children, the sound of a reporter on the holo could be heard. "The big story this Christmas is that the Emperor has steeped down from his post, and restored full power to the Senate." As Padmé's fingers pressed the keypad that would unlock her front door, her head snapped back toward the holo and the news reporter who exclaimed, "The Republic is restored!"

"I don't believe it!" Padmé murmured.

"What don't you believe?" A voice Padmé had not heard in five years whispered in her ear, causing her to gasp in surprise.

Hearing their visitor's voice, both Luke and Leia leapt up from tearing through various presents and shouted "Santa!"

However, no response was given to the young children as the man they knew as Santa spun Padmé in his arms and pulled her in a passionate kiss. "Santa?" Luke and Leia's faces spread with a look of confusion at what their mother and Santa were doing.

"Why is Mommy kissing Santa Claus?" Luke asked, sticking his tongue out in disgust as he spoke.

Once again, the twins got no response from their mother or Santa as both seemed lost in each others' arms, but their Uncle Obi-Wan was able to provide them an answer. "Because that is not Santa."

"What?" Luke and Leia questioned their uncle in unison.

"That is my best friend, Anakin Skywalker." Obi-Wan smiled at the two young children whose jaws had dropped in shock. "Your father." Obi-Wan added to ensure the children knew who he was referring to.

Both twins blinked for a moment in shock, but they shook themselves out of their reverie and sprinted towards their mother and father. Finally becoming aware of his children's presence, Anakin scooped them up into his arms as he gazed at them.

"I promised you two I would make sure your father was back for Christmas and here I am. I am sorry I had to trick you two, but I wanted to surprise your mother."

The deception did not seem to bother the twins as the promptly threw their arms around Anakin's neck and gave their father a huge hug.

"And you my Angel, should always wear this." Anakin used the Force to levitate the pendant of Japor out of Padmé's fingers and secured it around her neck.

Padmé placed a hand over the pendant as tears of joy streamed down her face. "How?" She murmured, completely taken aback by her husband's presence.

A small cough sounded from where Obi-Wan rose to address the happy family. "I believe that will be a story for later tonight when I take the twins to spend the night with me." The elder Jedi winked at Anakin and Padmé before continuing. "In the meantime, I think I will leave you all to this family reunion.

"No. Stay." Anakin stated. "You are a part of this family too and you kept it together while some of us were parted. We have spent far too many Christmases apart; it is time to spend it as a family."

* * *

Although Anakin and Padmé did take Obi-Wan up on his offer to look after the twins that Christmas night so they could have some time alone, they did spend the entire day with the elder Jedi and their two children. From that point forward all Christmases were celebrated with Kenobi and the rest of the Skywalker family.

Additionally, Anakin had no trouble integrating back into his family as he had Obi-Wan's friendship, Padmé's enduring love, and the unconditional acceptance of Luke and Leia. No one on Naboo knew that a Sith Lord had almost stolen Christmas from them, and they would never learn of it. With the return of Anakin Skywalker, the Sith were destroyed and any lingering darkness left the galaxy. With love in their hearts, the extended Skywalker family and all people across the galaxy kept the joyous spirit of the holiday season alive to be enjoyed for the rest of time.

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The End. 


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